Installing Concrete Channel Drain

Hi,

This is my first post here. I am installing a concrete channel drain across my 12' wide driveway. The Channel drains come in 4' wide sections (so I have 3 of them). And they are about 9" wide and 7" tall. Quite heavy! The ends are perfectly flat and smooth (No slots or anything). I have to join these 3 pieces side by side. How do I join them together given that water will be flowing across them? Is there some kind of special construction adhesive for concrete? Or do I leave a gap of may be 1/2" between the segments and then fill it with concrete (and of course shape it and smooth it to the same interior channel profile)? What ever the solution it will have to be:

a) Strong so that it will not deteriorate over time as cars pass over the drain
b) Smooth and impermeable to water as if the 12' stretch is one continuous channel (No bumps to obstruct the water flow etc.)

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Installing Concrete Channel Drain

welcome aboard ! the 1st thing to do is ' rtfm ! ' ( read the fu***** manual ! ) for canadians, that means reading directions but you're a guy just like most of us,,, ' what directions ? i don' need no steenking directions ! '

those things usually slide together easily so there might be some burrs or casting boogers yet holding 'em apart - clean those up,,, guessing you bought hdpe & not cast iron slot drains

NO conc in the channel - EVER ! don't worry if the drain's not watertight as long as the drainage flows correctly,,, the biggest issue's holding them in place while placing conc back around 'em sometimes they want to move so stake 'em in right

good luck !

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Installing Concrete Channel Drain

Thank you for your reply. Of course the channels will have a 1% grade from left to right so the water flows. If you simply 'butt them up' as it were with no adhesive of any kind, isn't there a risk of water seeping through the joint crack? If so won't that do some damage in the long run?

Installing Concrete Channel Drain

Thanks for the reply. My channels are in fact plain and old fashioned concrete. The picture you posted shows the plastic channels and yes they do have slots and end caps and all that. But they are rated only for light vehicles. They are not really rated for say a heavy delivery truck etc. Although there are heavier duty polymer channels as strong as concrete that can take the load they are way more expensive than concrete (which is why I decided to go with concrete).

Installing Concrete Channel Drain

I've put in similar trench drains- but they were a composite material and use an epoxy to seal the joints. Each end had grooves or rabbits to receive the end cap or the next section.

We would string a line from side to side on the forms- this gave us a straight line.
We would wet set the sections into a few shovel fulls of concrete to hold the drain straight and to grade- laser helps.

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Installing Concrete Channel Drain

set them on the right grade - align them horizontally & vertically - run a bead of 100% silicone at the junction,,, contrary to my colleagues, i wouldn't choose epoxy 1, too much difference in short hardness; 2, surface isn't prepp'd for epoxy; & 3 - expansion/contraction differential's too great for the application,,, go get an adult beverage whilst congratulating yourself on a job well done.